


Skyward Bound

by Momma_Time



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alex is haruhi, F/M, Jamilton - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Ouran High School Host Club AU, Reverse Harem, XDDDDD, alex is a cis girl, but end goal here is, but hey, everyone will be smitten with her, look - Freeform, there will be some poly relationships going on here, this is loosely based off of the anime and manga, this is probably crack, this was inspired by someone's au on tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2018-09-25 06:58:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9808313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Momma_Time/pseuds/Momma_Time
Summary: Alex Hamilton has a plan. She's going to go undercover to expose the disgusting underbelly of the school's host club.But...maybe they're not so bad.





	1. Oh Sh*t

**Author's Note:**

> Appleflavoredkitkats has a fem!alex au in canon era and the whole of congress and the cabinet are smitten with her, but Tjeffs gets the girl in the end. And she makes sure he's earned it. Anyway, it sparked the OHSHC au so here you go AppleKats.

You had your standard chess club, a reading bowl team, marching band, and more at the Great American Academy. Then you had your more obscure clubs and afterschool groups; the knitting club, the cosplay group that took their work to competitions, blacksmith, and then there's the host club. It started as a group of young men learning how to be gentlemen among their peers. They came from families with money, and their parents encouraged their pursuits towards proper etiquette; it was useful in their social circles.  
  
In the beginning, it was led by a boy named John Hancock, who passed the baton to his vice president of the club, Thomas Jefferson when he graduated. Thomas was your standard pretty boy, one who oozed charm and a coy smile that made anyone and everyone weak in the knees. He wielded that power carelessly, throwing it this way and that to get his way or to better please the students who came to the club for entertainment. He wasn't a bad person, not at all. In fact, this year, the club was raising funds to send to Planned Parenthood. It was his friend James' idea, and Thomas had hopped onto the opportunity. However, he was the most flirtacious of the other boys in the club. Cocky. There's a good word for him. He was a guy who was handsome and knew it. Tall, lean, captain of the basketball team AND the lacrosse team, on the debate team, and volunteered at the animal shelter. The guy was nearly perfect. A dreamboat. The model student and human being.  
  
The others in his club were an odd bunch. Everyone acted like a "type" people usually had. Hercules was the brawny, giant teddy bear that played every sport known to man. James was their over intelligent, soft hearted guy. Gilbert was the foreign exchange student from France with the accent. John was the bubbly, boyish option. And Aaron was their gorgeous, unobtainable boy who would make something of himself and could one day be a CEO or something of a giant company. Everyone had bets as to which profession he would pick, as Aaron had yet to decide what career path he wanted. So far, most were betting that he'd go into politics and try to gain the presidency or be a supreme court judge.  
  
They had yet to bring any girls into their club, as most wanted to visit the club as a /paying customer or/ member. The few that never came around didn't care much for boys.  
  
Which is where we meet our protagonist.  
  
An honor student who had already been published in several literary journals didn't know much about the club other than anyone with a preference for men flocked to make appointments. She thought it was a little stupid; why would people be so interested in a group of guys being paid to fawn over you? It seemed like a waste. There are more important things to enjoy, like books or running or tending to pets. Her adoptive parents owned a farm and tended to horses. Horseback riding lessons, breeding, minor vet work, they knew what they were doing. Then there were the dogs. There were so many dogs. She couldn't walk five feet without one getting in her way and begging for attention. It was a wonder she got anything done.  
  
Oh, it might help if we introduce her properly.  
  
Alexandra Hamilton. Girl genius whose parents didn't let her skip a grade or two (wanting her to socially mature), writer, dog lover, photographer, insomniac, coffee addict, and future lawyer or novelist if she had it her way; maybe she would do both. Alex had a way with words and could spin them any which way. On paper, at least. Toss her into a debate, and she was merciless with more finesse in her little finger than many combined.  
  
Back to her and her relationship with the school. It was expensive, and while her family lived comfortably, there was no way in hell that she could afford it without the scholarship she got from being an honor student. The uniforms were just as bad, and because of that, she didn't always have the shirts clean and wound up wearing a jacket or sweater to hide the fact that she wasn't wearing one. No one had raised a fuss, so she'd never stopped the habit, to the point where she wound up wearing them almost every day. The weekends were a little different, but not by much. She didn't mind either. They were cozy, and she adored the pseudo protection they provided her.  
  
Pair them with cuddling her dogs, and she was living the good life.  
  
But back to the club.  
  
Arrogant, snobby, pretty, womanizing boys with no sense of shame for the girls of this school. It had to be a sexist club, and hey, she liked to write essays on social justice issues...maybe she could write something to start a conversation on them...although, they did do some good for various organizations. She'd have to tread carefully.  
  
But there had to be something nefarious going on behind the scenes. After a week of thinking on it, she decided that maybe she could infiltrate it somehow and write about their dirty secrets.  
  
Which is how she wound up here, "accidentally" wandering in during a study period when the club met to plan for their afternoon activities. This is also how she walked in on a group of young men dressed in their best, Cali surfer boy costumes with the room decked out to look like a beach boardwalk. The room was warm, too warm for her liking what with the layers she was wearing, and the feeling of several pairs of eyes landing on her was severely unnerving. The small immigrant's eyes darted around, widening behind her glasses as she was struck with the thought that this was a bad idea.  
  
A freckled boy was the first to bound up to her, like some kind of puppy, and immediately grabbed her hands, shaking them excitedly.  
  
"Holy shit! Look how cute he is! Aaron! Look! Look at this face!" Freckles gripped her shoulders and spun her around to face Aaron, reaching from behind her to squeeze her cheeks. "Look at how adorable! Can we keep him? Oh my Larry, I want ten of him to take home with me."  
  
Alex squeaked and batted his hands away, turning to face him and backing up a few steps. "I am not cute!" A weak protest, stuttered and paired with flushed cheeks.  
  
Another boy, one not much bigger than her and looking a little shy stepped forward to look her over. His brow raised and he shared a look with Aaron. "Yes, she--ahem, excuse me. He's cute. You're right, John."  
  
"What do you think, Gilbert?"  
  
The exchange student looked up from his book, laid out on a beach chair under an umbrella, tugged his sunglasses down a little and gave her a once over. "Mmm, I'd date him."  
  
Freckles muttered from behind Alex. "You'd date anyone with legs, Laf, that doesn't mean much."  
  
"And without legs. Don't be non-inclusive, Laurens," he chided.  
  
A burly guy sitting in the chair next to Gilbert snorted and didn't look back up at them as he flipped the page in his magazine. When Alex squinted, it said Knitting Weekly on the front. Okay then...that blew some of her plans out of the water.  
  
"You knit?" she asked suddenly.  
  
"And sew. Who do you think makes the costumes we all wear?" He still didn't look up from his magazine. "I've made several ball gowns, each in less than an hour. I could make you a new pair of socks in the time it would take to fix a hole in your old ones. So yeah, I knit. Problem?" Now he looked up.  
  
"What? No! That's amazing..." She wished she knew how. Maybe she could ask him how to... Wait. No. That's not why she was here.  
  
"Aaaaaaanyway! I want to keep him. Can we keep him?" Freckles was bouncing around her again and poking at James. "Please? I'll take care of him and everything! Just like Sheldon and Marvin!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"His turtles," Gilbert answered.  
  
Alex scowled at Freckles, "I'm not a pet!"  
  
"But think about it! We could put some meat on your bones and raise you into the perfect prince!" She expected to be the first girl to work in the club...but she supposed that would work.  
  
"But I'm not--"  
  
"Aren't you the honor student? Law bound, right?" Aaron strode forward, clipboard in hand as he circled her and Freckles.  
  
"I actually like the idea of that." Alex glanced to her right where their leader had appeared in the doorway. Holy shit. "One, fresh meat would make for a great errand boy. Two, we could train him in preparation of running with the big boys in the law field. I'm in. Take a vote?"  
  
"Wait. Why do you guys think that I'm--" She didn't finish as everyone started chiming in with their ayes. "Hold it!" All eyes turned back to her. "Why in the hell do you, people--"  
  
"AH! He's too pure for that." Freckles slapped a hand over her mouth. "Princes don't use that type of language. It's shitty behavior."  
  
"John, you literally just--"  
  
"Shh James! Shhhh."  
  
Alex met Aaron's gaze, who was wearing a slightly amused expression and then gestured at his buzzed hair. "That's why they..."  
  
Alex ran a hand through her own short hair. "Oh. Wait. Do I really look that boyish?" She got a solemn nod from him as an answer. Well damn.  
  
"Yes, and that's why you'd be perfect! James and John have the boyish charm, but you take it to a whole other level." Thomas rested a hand on her shoulder, "Besides, the ayes have it. Welcome to the club!"  
  
"Do I not get a say in this?"  
  
"Nope," everyone chorused.  
  
Lovely. Well, at least she was in...although this had been too easy.  
  
"Now, Hercules, if you would get him a bathing suit."  
  
Shit.  
  
"I-I don't think I should do that one. I uh, I'm very self-conscious about...all of this." She made a circular motion with her hand to indicate her body, but Hercules was already standing up to grab her hand and drag her off to the attached room that they used for storage and changing.  
  
"Nonsense! You'll look great. I have never made anyone look bad. I promise. If I can make James look good, then no one is a challenge."  
  
"HEY! I resent that!"  
  
"Don't man! It's a compliment."  
  
"How in the hell is that--" Hercules slammed the door behind them and gestured for her to stand on the small podium off to the side that was positioned in front of a mirror.  
  
"Anyway, sweater off and stand up there for me."  
  
"Hercules, I really don't think that that's a good idea and--"  
  
"Don't worry. I can make sure no one knows you're a girl. Unless you want to actually dress like one while you're here? We don't have a girl in the club aside from Abigail Adams who's sort of our PR, and even then, she isn't around much."  
  
Hercules brought out a measuring tape and waited until she dropped the sweater to her feet before he started measuring her. "You're not wearing your uniform under this. Why?"  
  
"Can't afford many of them, even the used ones. That's after I used some of the scholarship money. So, I wear them when I can, but I usually wear sweaters over them, AND the days I'm not using them to keep people from getting suspicious and all." Alex shrugged, "We own a farm with horses and dogs. We're not stinking rich like you people."  
  
"I'll do something about that. You're going to represent us; you need to look the part. Now, seriously, how do you want me to present you to them and the public?" He draped the tape over his shoulder and started scribbling numbers on a sticky note pad, and Alex had no idea where they came from.  
  
"How long do you think we could pretend that I'm a girl before those idiots figure it out?"  
  
Hercules' lips twisted into a grin, "I like the way you think."  
  
Half an hour later, they stepped out with her dressed in board shorts and a tank top, sunglasses perched on top of her head and all of the guys looked in her direction. John was the first to say something, calling out that she was adorable. Everyone swore up and down that she'd be a hit that afternoon.  
  
They had her skip classes that afternoon with them so that they could train her for her job, and James, Aaron, and Hercules were the only ones who knew that Alex was a girl. For now, anyway. Alex had a feeling John and Thomas would be last. And despite him being one of her number one targets in her mission, she'd barely seen him that first day through her training. It was only when they made it to the end of the day, and people started filing in that he finally stepped in to correct how she was interacting with a pair of freshmen.  
  
"No no. Alex, you have to do it like this." He plopped down next to her and grabbed her chin, turning her face towards him and leaning in way too close for comfort. His fingers were warm, his grip gentle, and his eyes were soft as they searched her face. Alex suddenly realized why everyone swooned for Thomas. "You need to keep eye contact briefly, let your eyes glance down to their lips, but don't linger, just a quick flick, and then meet their gaze again. Lean close, almost touch, but don't breach that level of intimacy. We don't go that far here." Neither moved for what seemed like an eternity, but the girls squealing in the beach chairs in front of them reminded them of where they were. Thomas released her and stood, smirking as he went back to his guests.  
  
"He's so suave, isn't he?" one of the girls asked, sighing as she stared after him.  
  
Her friend agreed, and Alex shrugged silently before turning back to them and getting back to her new "job." Honestly, she was a little dazed. How in the hell had things moved so quickly?


	2. Place Your Bets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex wants to marry coffee.  
> John wants to marry her sneaky ideas.  
> It's agreed that Thomas is an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. Is that a wild reveal I see?  
> It can't be.  
> This is all crack guys. I don't know why you would expect anything else in this au.

So far, so good.  
  
Hercules knew, and Aaron and James had worked it out without seeing her in something. Hercules filled them in on seeing how long it would take everyone else to figure it out. Bets were placed for each boy; Alex stayed out of it. She didn't have the money for that.  
  
And holy shit. They had coffee from heaven. It had to be. She, in a moment of drama, set her mug on a coffee table and fell back onto the couch with a contented sigh. "Geez, I'm in love."  
  
"Ooh! Our little prince has a crush? On who?" John hopped onto the couch by her legs and started poking her.  
  
"Coffee. The coffee is so good that I can die happy." She was grinning, "I hope you boys have the money to pay for the shit-ton of coffee I drink because I will never be satisfied after THAT." Alex lazily gestured to the mug.  
  
The room was silent until James, of all people, started laughing. "I'll make sure we buy it in bulk then."  
  
"My word. Is it legal to marry an inanimate object? Because I'd marry that bag of coffee in a heart bea--"  
  
"Now you're taking it too far, Hamilton." A shadow fell over Alex, and she looked up to see Thomas hovering over her and John, leaning on the back of the couch. "You're strange; did you know that?"  
  
"I've been called worse," she said with a shrug. Alex pushed herself up and went back to her coffee. The girls in the room that Aaron was sending to different places within the club room swooned and promised to get her more coffee.  
  
Alex choked on her coffee. "Oh, p-please don't. I d-don't need-need it that b-badly." They wouldn't hear of it, and so Alex was paid in coffee twice a month. No amount of protests would stop them; Alex started sharing with the school staff.  
  
But back to the club activities.  
  
None of the other boys in the club had figured it out yet, but Alex was sure that Laf was close. The girls that came and went didn't suspect anything either. They fawned over Alex, and it was all she could do to not cringe at the cheesiness of it all. Was her article that important? It couldn't possibly be worth this nightmare. She had better things to do than to flirt with strangers who didn't actually care about who she was; they cared for the character. It was a little depressing actually, and she didn't like it much.  
  
Surprisingly--and to Hercules, Aaron, and James' disappointment--John was the first to find out.  
  
The noise in the club was too much that day, and so she'd left to get a little air. There were too many people, too much noise, and she wasn't in the mood for sucking up to people today. John had followed her outside, and they wound up sitting in silence against a tree in one of the many gardens on the school's campus. It was when he'd tugged her into a hug that he figured it out.  
  
John jerked away, face turning red, and mumbling apologies for not knowing and treating her like one of the guys. The club members were supposed to treat women with respect, and he'd been affectionate the last two weeks.  
  
Alex waved it off with a small smile, "It's fine. Although Hercules, James, and Aaron won't be happy that you figured it out first. Hercules and Aaron betted that Lafayette would be the first to figure it out and James said Thomas would be the first. I disagree with him, as to Hercules and Aaron. The three of us agree that while he's brilliant, he's dense, and he'll be the last."  
  
"And I would be second?" When Alex nodded, John hummed and fell silent a moment. "How much is in the pot so far?"  
  
Alex shrugged, "I don't know. I'm not part of the bet. I don't have the money for frivolous spending."   
  
"Then how do you feel about splitting the winnings with me? I'll hop on that bet, and we can stage the reveal in our favor."  
  
"Actually, how about we stage it for a bet that they'll both find out at the same time, and then up the stakes by saying it would happen during club hours? I'll pretend not to know that you're doing it, and then I'll do something that gives it away."  
  
"My word, marry me. The deviousness of that plan..."  
  
Alex flashed him a smirk, "I'm brilliant, I know. Save the praise for after. Oh, and I almost forgot." She held out a hand, "I'm Alexandra."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."


	3. Surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Alex have a plan.  
> Thomas is pissed.  
> Everyone has heart eyes for Alex now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like this one.

Alex was sure that she was going to go insane with how the girls (and two boys) fawned over her. She didn't mind praise for her accomplishments, but for looking "cute"? It was annoying. She'd had her cheeks pinched so many times that her face hurt. Did they think she was an eight-year-old?  
  
And then there was Thomas.  
  
They fought like cats and dogs. Everything could be made into an argument. Hercules thought it was hilarious that the "Chihuahua" was trying to start a fight with a "Great Dane."  
  
"There's nothing 'great' about him," she'd mumbled. That only had Hercules laughing harder. Thomas was enjoying himself, however. He'd smirk as she'd get fired up about this or that issue, and pat her head patronizingly before saying something about "aw, you're cute" before cackling and leaving her pissed off.  
  
John and Alex worked on their big reveal scheme and decided that a day where everyone was dressed as princes for a high tea would be a good way to do it. Hercules thought nothing of it, saying at least he wouldn't have to make a costume for Alex since she apparently had one (she didn't, John was getting a dress made for her in a gorgeous shade of green. The thing had to be more expensive than her entire wardrobe combined. With their plan in motion, the pair started planning how she'd actually present herself. They decided to keep it simple; she'd walk out of the changing rooms and John would sit back and grin, holding out a hand to receive the winnings from their club mates.  
  
When John was her ride the day before the prince presentation, he took her to try on the tailored dress. They walked into the shop, and the shopkeeper was beaming when she saw John. Immediately, she came from behind the counter and all but tackled him in a hug.  
  
"John! Oh, darling boy, you're more handsome every time I see you."  
  
John grinned and hugged her back, kissing her cheek. "It's good to see you, Mrs. Jones. You're absolutely lovely."  
  
"Oh, and who's this beautiful girl? Your girlfriend?" Both teenagers blushed and shook their heads. John thought 'I wish.' "Ah, shame. You two would be adorable?"  
  
They mumbled thanks and then John was asking if Alex could try on the gown he'd ordered for her. Ms. Jones quickly went to the back to bring it for her and motioned for Alex to go into a fitting room to try it on.  
  
Alex looked at herself in the mirror and just sort of gaped at herself. She thought that she didn't look half bad...Almost pretty. The dark green dress had layers of twisted layers and bows that were reminiscent of something in the 1700s. The bust had a bone frame to it with a wide collar with a lacey tie that started from the middle of the bust and wrapped up from behind her neck. And the sleeves. Unholy hell. They were poofy with thick lace bands around the upper arm and below the elbow. They had a gorgeous flower pattern on the ribbons that bound the lace in the middle of each band. Tassels where the skirt was gathered, bows, and fringe along the bottom of each layer.  
  
She poked her head out from behind the curtain, looking for John. "I think I look okay?"  
  
He grinned and leaned back in one of the cushy chairs available in the show, making a motion to come out. "Well, let's see you...Oh."  
  
Alex stepped out from behind the curtain, adjusting the skirts as she did and missed the look of awe and sudden infatuation. It was sinking in that Alex was a GIRL, a young lady. He'd yet to see her dressed as what most expected a girl to wear.  
  
"Do I look that bad?" Alex's shoulders started raising, nerves starting to get to her the longer John too to respond.  
  
John blinked quickly and shook his head, "No! No....Holy shit, Alex, you're gorgeous in that. Just have to get you a period wig and a fan, and that'll be perfect. The guys will love it, and Gilbert and Thomas will probably faint. Everyone will be envious of you. Beauty and brains? Damn, they'll be smitten." Like he was now.  
  
John stood and started circling her, checking the work until Ms. Jones nudged him out of the way to make sure everything fit and laid right on her. "I have to say, I think this is my best work."  
  
Alex was blushing from John's praise, staring at her feet and avoiding his eyes. She could feel him looking her over. "It's a little more low cut than I'm used to, but this strap helps cover what would bother me."  
  
"I approve." "You're beautiful." Both John and Ms. Jones said at once.  
  
John immediately took his wallet out and went to pay Ms. Jones while Alex changed back into her uniform. The dress was bagged carefully, and the pair set off for John to take her home. He was surprised by the farm she lived on with horses and dogs everywhere. He didn't go in, this time, but he did give her a quick hug before she left the car and headed inside. The plan was to pick her up in the morning, and she had permission to leave her last class early to start preparing for her costume. John would help her with the wig and Alex would do her own makeup.   
  
\--  
  
John and Alex met in the club room early and started preparing everything for Alex to change, and then John parted a few minutes to go change himself. When he'd finished, he knocked on her door, and she let him in. He was dressed in a beautiful navy jacket with a stark white cravat and shirt beneath it, and a patterned waistcoat between the two layers. He's beautiful, Alex thought; he was truly a prince.  
  
"Damn, I still can't get over how pretty you are in this." Then he blushed and tried to backtrack, "Not that you're not any other day, but you look really nice in this."  
  
Alex snorted, smirking, "Only nice? I'll have to try harder next time."  
  
John swallowed, "You don't have to try. Now, sit so I can get the wig on you and then you can do your makeup. Remember, natural and light, with the blush and lip thing."  
  
"Lipstick," Alex asked with a snort.  
  
John snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "That! Yes, that. Now hold still."  
  
Alex did as he told her too and let John put a wig cap on and start slipping the wig on, and then he anchored it in place. The last bit was the feathery but flat hat that was to be pinned to the top of it. Alex wouldn't lie, she thought she looked pretty for a change. She'd never really cared if she did before now, but she found herself worrying if she was pretty enough for this. Too bad she couldn't look this good every day. Although, it would get her the wrong kind of attention. She wanted attention for her brains, not her looks.  
  
John finished and, sensing her thoughts, gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Stop worrying. You're beautiful, dress or oversized sweaters."  
  
Alex flashed him a small and grateful smile before he had to leave to keep the guys busy so she could wait to surprise everyone. She heard him use the excuse that her clothes were going to take her a bit to get on, but she'd be ready by the time the guests got here. With how little makeup she needed to put on, she wound up sitting there idly for a time until everyone was ready and students started filing in.  
  
She heard Thomas grumbling about her taking so long with John telling him to be patient; she'd be done soon. Footsteps made for her door and John called to ask if she was ready. "Yeah, I think so."  
  
John opened the door slowly and beamed when he saw her. "Remember," he whispered, "you're beautiful."  
  
Alex nodded and pushed the door open the rest of the way to walk out and make for the door to the club room. A quick breath and she was walking through that door with her head held high and a small smile on her red lips. The noise of the clubroom died down until you could hear a pin drop. All eyes were on her, and someone broke the silence by whispering a question to their friend about "who is that?"  
  
She looked to her friends. Hercules was in a muted red outfit, Aaron was in burgundy, James in black, Gilbert in a pale blue, and Thomas in a pinkish-purple. Despite knowing that Alex was a girl, Aaron, Hercules, and James' jaws had dropped, along with everyone else.  
  
Smiling shyly, Alex decided to introduce herself. "Hello, I'm Alexandra Hamilton. It's a pleasure to meet you all properly."  
  
Aaron and Hercules whispered a "holy shit" while one of the guests whispered that they must be gay or something like that. Alex had to stifle a snort when she heard that.  
  
"Wait, so you've been a girl this whole time?" Gilbert was the first to speak up. When Alex nodded, he echoed Aaron and Hercules's first words.  
  
Her eyes flicked to Thomas, wanting to know if he approved. The man was still stunned, still as death in his chair. When he said nothing, Alex turned her attention to Aaron and James. "Who will I be tending to today?"  
  
Aaron, still wide-eyed, pointed to a set of couches. Alex took that cue and moved gracefully to join the girls and one boy at their designated section. She'd finally taken a seat when Thomas hopped up and stalked over to her, looking a little pissed. Alex swallowed, wondering what the hell she'd gotten herself into.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us you were a gir?" he demanded.  
  
"You assumed, didn't ask, I tried to correct you all, but I kept getting interrupted." She gave a half shrug, "It's not my fault that you guys feel the need to interrupt people." Alex flashed him a grin before turning back around to do her job of entertaining her guests and pouring them tea, asking after their days, health, and for juicy gossip.  
  
No one had a chance to answer because Thomas dropped down onto the seat beside her, huffing. "You should have told us!"  
  
"Aaron, Hercules, James, and John figured it out...and made a bet on who would find out first. You were last to figure it out per everyone's prediction but James. Speaking of, from what I know of the bet, you boys owe John the winnings." John walked by her couch, and she held a hand up and towards the back of the couch, where he high fives her on his way by.  
  
"You cheated!" Hercules pointed an accusatory finger at Alex and John.  
  
"Hey, you never said how they could find out or that no one could interfere. Besides, this is a nice way to break the news, isn't it?" Alex shot him a wink, and then she returned her attention to her guests. Time to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I modeled Alex's dress after this:  
> https://innerallure.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/marie1.png


	4. Sweet Lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas is a turd.  
> Aaron has dinner with Alex and her family.  
> Aaron is introduced to Alex's dogs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk how I feel about this chapter.

Thomas was unhappy with Alex for the rest of the event and didn't speak to her until it was over and the guests had all left. When they were gone, he cornered her after she finished changing back into her school clothes. He pointed to a chair. "Sit."  
 

Alex glanced back at Aaron, her only witness at the moment, and then did as she was ordered. She dropped her bag at her feet and waited for Thomas to wear into her over the whole thing. He took a seat on the couch across from her but didn't speak for a few moments, trying to decide on how to approach it.  
 

"Why did you lie to us?"  
 

She huffed, "I didn't. You assumed and never gave me a chance to correct myself."  
 

"So why did you come here in the first place?" Shit. How was she supposed to answer that?  
 

"I just--I was curious as to what the hype was about. I thought it was stupid and couldn't figure out why people liked this so much. I'm still a little unsure as to the appeal of it." Although, now that she knew the guys better, she could understand a little. They were good people, kind, even when they weren't working with the guests.  
 

Aaron raised a brow at this, and Alex had a brief moment of panic that he knew what her original intentions were. He can't have, though. She hadn't written down a plan or started an article or even her notes, although, she had thought about blogging about her experiences. She'd never published them, but she did have journals on her adventure. So. There was no way he knew about this.  
 

"Then why are you still here? If you don't get it, don't like it, or don't want to be here, then leave." The others had walked in as he said the last part, and everyone was staring at Thomas with wide eyes. He couldn't have just said that. Not Thomas. He could lay out an insult or seemingly heartless order on occasion, but so could everyone at one point or another; everyone reasoned that it was out of anger from his pride being wounded. Thomas was intelligent; that couldn't be denied, but it made the man feel foolish.  
 

"Thomas, there's no need for that. We all knew what was--"  
 

Thomas interrupted Hercules. "No. She didn't share the truth with us, and apparently, she doesn't even see the point of what we do! She can get out for all I care."  
 

One could have heard a pin drop in the tense silence that followed. Alex, meanwhile, felt frustration and shame building into anger and hopped to her feet, glaring. "I came here to figure out WHY this is done and WHY people enjoy it. Just because I haven't figured it out yet doesn't mean I don't enjoy what we do. I love hanging out with you guys. You're the first friends I've had in YEARS. And if I have to put up with your shit and defend myself to be here, then I don't want to be within twenty miles of you. Excuse me while I see myself out." She grabbed her things and stormed out of the room; hell bent on walking home. Alex managed to hold back her frustrated tears until she was some ways off of campus. How dare he.  
 

Back in the club room, everyone was glaring at Thomas, who looked ready to throttle Alex if she were still here. "What?" he snapped.  
 

Aaron spoke first, "I can be cold Thomas, but that was crossing a line." He gathered his things, leaving the room as everyone essentially gave him the same message and followed Aaron out.  
 

Thomas was left in an empty, quiet classroom to stew on his own. He had no reason to be angry or lash out the way he had, and he knew it; Thomas would have to apologize when he was less pissed off, and he'd mended his ego. That's all this was about, a wounded pride that he kept careful control over. What Alex had done hadn't hurt anyone and hadn't hurt the club.  
  
\--  
  
Aaron was the one to see Alex walking down the street when he was riding in the car home, and he had his driver stop to offer her a ride. She shook her head and kept walking, head down to avoid his eyes.  
"Alex, don't be stubborn. You have a long walk ahead of you. Please let me drive you home?" Alex stopped walking for a moment, and Aaron could see the motion of her shoulders and stomach when she sighed. Finally, she turned and trudged to his car to hop in. Immediately, she leaned over on him, tired mentally, physically, and emotionally. After the initial shock, he didn't mind and wrapped an arm around her. She wasn't speaking, and he wound up looking up her address on the student directory to find out where she lived. They arrived at her family's farm a little while later, and Aaron got out to walk her to the door.  
 

Alex's mother met them at the door, surprised to see Alex in the state she was in. That surprise turned to motherly anger as she looked to Aaron for an explanation.  
 

"She and Thomas had a fight, and he took it too far." She opened her mouth to say her peace, but Aaron continued. "Don't worry, the guys and I plan to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"You'd better." She hugged Alex, who stood there and took it. "Do you want to stay for dinner? We're having fried cubed steak, gravy, potatoes, beans and a few other things."  
 

Aaron smiled pleasantly, "I appreciate it Mrs. Washington, but I shouldn't keep my driver waiting."  
 

"Oh, bring him in. He can join us. It'll be ready in a bit." Aaron nodded and scurried back to the car, telling the driver to come inside and have dinner. When he returned, Aaron asked where Alex went.  
 

Mrs. Washington smiled sadly, "She's probably in her room with the dogs or in the stables. One of those."  
 

Aaron nodded and followed her direction to Alex's room. He paused outside of her door; Aaron hadn't been in a girl's room before. Hesitantly, he knocked and waited for Alex to call him in. She didn't but instead opened the door for him. Immediately, he was accosted by half a dozen dogs, all wagging their tales and begging for his attention. Aaron didn't know what to do and looked up at Alex, finding her smiling wryly. She was laying on the floor, where Aaron assumed that she had been before he came upstairs. When she waved a lazy hand at the dogs, Aaron assumed that he meant he was supposed to pay them a little more attention. So, he came inside and closed the door behind him, kneeling to pet the dogs that were still begging to be petted or sniff him. When they lost interest, Aaron joined Alex on the floor, and the dogs all plopped down around them.  
 

Alex poked Aaron's arm and pointed to the dog that was half laying on her, "This is Sweet Lips. And before you say anything, my dad named her, and he's terrible at naming things." Sweet Lips knew she was being talked about and readjusted her head to stare pleadingly at Alex, and when Alex didn't cave in, she nosed at Alex's chin before trying to lick her face. Aaron did NOT feel butterflies when she giggled. He didn't.  
 

"Yeah, that's a terrible name." Aaron smiled and reached over to pet the nearest dog to him, "I knew your family had a lot of dogs, but this is ridiculous."  
 

"Well, I love them all, and they're great company for when I'm doing homework. They remind me to get up and move around when I've been writing for too long." She ran her nails over Sweet Lips' back.  
 

"You run a few blogs, don't you? And a Twitter. You like to argue a lot." Alex shrugged and turned her gaze up to the ceiling. They fell into a comfortable silence, which left Aaron a chance to look over her room. There was a desk, a bed, and then the rest of the furniture was just bookshelves everywhere, overflowing with books and old binders. Her walls were a soft blue-gray with white trim, and posters of various American documents from their country's founding. Nerd, he thought fondly. "Is there anything I can do for you, Alex?"

"Let me throttle Jefferson?" Oh, so it's Jefferson right now. Shit, she WAS pissed.  
 

Aaron reached over and hesitantly took her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "We can't allow that, but trust me that he'll get his over it. We wanted to tear him apart earlier, but we figured that it would be a colder punishment to just leave him there by himself. It'll give us time to clear our heads before we do anything."  
 

"Tch, I still want to punch him."  
 

"We all do." They shared a grin before Alex's eyes widened in mock shock.  
 

"You? Wanting to hit someone? Hell must have frozen over," she teased, startling a laugh out of Aaron. You know, he could get used to this. He liked her smile and her laugh. She was a handful, with boundless energy, but it was worth it to see her smile.


	5. Tag! You're It!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laser Tag.  
> Alex hits below the belt  
> Thomas is salty about it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this one. I was going to make it Alex/Hercules centric, but Hercules would totally take Hammy to play laser tag and they wouldn't do it without everyone else.

Alex didn't show up at the club the next day.  
Or the day after.  
She was in class, sure, but she would just shrug when asked why she wasn't there that week.  
Her friends had a harder time explaining it and left it up to Thomas to give whatever excuse he wanted; after all, it was his fault that she'd walked out on the club. Aaron had tried to convince her the evening of the Incident but had zero luck in doing so. She was adamant about not coming back. In Alex's mind, she had decided that unless Jefferson was the one to ask her back, AFTER apologizing, then she may rejoin the club. Until such a time, she started on her article on the club. It started out scathing, her anger and resentment from the argument still fresh in her mind, but she eventually went back and fixed it.  
Alex didn't send it in yet.  
  
Jefferson didn't apologize until a week later when he pulled her aside after school ended for the day. Alex had glanced behind her, hoping that one of her friends were nearby in case she tried to punch him. No such luck. She'd have to exercise her own self-restraint.  
  
"What, Jefferson?" She stood in the middle of the empty hallway, arms crossed over her chest and scowling at the boy.  
  
Jefferson looked both peeved and uncomfortable, but he managed to hold his ground and maintain his cocky air. Alex almost called bullshit on it. Almost. "I want to apologize."  
  
"For?"  
  
"Seriously, Alex? You know what I'm talking about!"  
  
"Hamilton," she corrected. "Until you give me a proper apology. What's the point in asking for forgiveness if you don't lay out your crime in full?" There was a tense silence; Alex shook her head and grabbed her bag, turning away from him and heading for the exit. "Good afternoon, Jefferson."  
  
\--  
  
Hercules caught her on her way out the door, telling her that he was "kidnapping" her for a bit. Alex, wanting a distraction, sighed and gave a small nod.  
  
"Sure."  
  
She found herself at a laser tag facility.  
  
Hercules helped her put her gear on and, just before it was time to go out into the game, there was a loud ruckus at the door. Alex turned to find everyone piling in to join them, including Jefferson.  
  
"Aaaaay! Alex! Hell yeah, I call dibs!" John jumped to her side and linked his arm in hers. Hercules wound up being the other captain of their bunch, and they picked out who would be on their teams. Jefferson was on the other, which Alex felt a sick pleasure in. Oh, she was going to find him first.  
  
After everyone put on their gear and split up, they were sent into the darkness that had hints of neon pinks and yellows and greens. Alex and John's team went in one direction to find a place to hide. They'd have about a minute before the timer went off for them to begin.  
  
James clung to her arm and leaned close, "Don't trust Aaron. I saw him switch out his gun."  
  
"Should we shoot him first?" she asked in a whisper.  
  
"No. Wait until the time is right." Alex nodded, forgetting that they were in near complete darkness.  
  
Everything fell silent, the timer went off, and then blaring music began to hide any small noise people would make while playing. Alex separated immediately and made for the high ground off to the side. She would let them come to her.  
  
It worked. Gilbert and some stranger were her first victims to be taken down as they ran passed. Alex was sure that they didn't know where she shot them from, which was great, but they weren't Jefferson.  
  
"Dammit, Aaron!" That was John, which meant he was out. And then, "HA! You deserved that." So now Aaron was down too.  
  
She saw a shadow moving in her peripheral and immediately leapt out, snatching their arm holding the gun and spinning them around. Jefferson. Oh, she was going to love this.  
  
"A-Alex? Holy shit, you scared the hell out of me and--wait, I'm supposed to shoo--" Alex ducked back into her hiding space, dragging Jefferson in with her. Before he could say anything, she shooshed him and jerked him to the floor to sit.  
  
They sat in silence for a moment before Thomas asked, "Why are we not killing each other?"  
  
"Because I don't wanna yet. 'Sides, you have a pretty face, and I'd hate to mess that up."  
  
"You do know we're aiming at vests, right?"  
  
"Just go with it, asshole."  
  
They were silent another moment, and then, "Alex, I'm sorry about what I said. It was uncalled for and cruel."  
  
"Damn straight."  
  
"You and your languag--ow!" She'd smacked his arm. "A-anyway, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" Alex sat up on her knees and turned to face him, shifting to straddle his lap. "A-Alex?"  
  
She used her hand to hold his cheek and leaned in. "Thomas?"

"Yes?" he breathed. Alex noted that he was leaning in too and smirked to herself. Oh, this would be too easy.  
  
Just before their lips touched, there was a "pew!" sound between them as Alex shot his vest. "You're out, asshole." Thomas jerked back, gaping at her in shock and horror. She'd nearly kissed him, he halfway wanted her to, and then she pulled this shit!  
  
She crawled off of his lap and stood up, offering him her hand. Glancing over her shoulder at the clock, the lit board told her that there was only one more; Alex assumed that it was Hercules. Thomas took the offered hand and tugged him to his feet.  
  
"Call us even, Thomas. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to hunt down your team captain." Smirking, she saluted and disappeared into the dark.  
  
Pissed, Thomas tipped his head back and shouted that Alex was over here. He was pleased to hear the distant swearing of the little shit who had just tagged him.  
  
Rude.  
  
Neither spoke of it that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought you were getting a smooch, didn't you?
> 
> HMU on tumblr at ixhadbadxdays


	6. Hunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! And welcome to the school festival. Today's event is spooky creatures and naps in the haunted house.  
> Who will be the hunted? And who will be the hunter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had Hunted by Priority One & Two-thirds and Jonny Rose on repeat. It doesn't have much to do with the chapter, but it's an awesome song to write to anyway.  
> Anyway, sorry for how long it's taken me to write stuff. I've had this one in a draft for ages, but I needed some kind of ending for it and couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with it.  
> Get ready for cliches everywhere.

Halloween was coming up in a few days, and the club was busy with preparations. Alex and James had taken a poll to see what supernatural creatures people wanted to see and who they wanted to see as which creature.

The results came back as the following:

  * Hercules and John as werewolves
  * Thomas and Gilbert as vampires
  * James and Alex as vampire hunters
  * Aaron as a ghost of some kind



Hercules was in heaven; he had the freedom to design everyone's costumes how he wanted. He was on a steampunk kick and was overjoyed to toss in those elements into everyone's costumes. Alex had to admit that she and James looked pretty bad ass with the gear Hercules outfitted them with, along with the style of clothing. A skirt pulled high in the front but brushing the backs of her calves for Alex with a faded red and white color scheme for the whole outfit. She loved the tights and the hat she got to wear with it. Honestly, she felt like she looked a little like Lindsey Stirling by the time she had everything on. James was dressed similarly but in blue and white colors. Well, except for the skirt. He had pants and a longer coat than what Alex was given.

Thomas and Gilbert looked every bit as posh, ancient aristocrats as they could be; they were given their favorite colors for their clothes with red contacts to match and false teeth. Meanwhile, John and Hercules had fake scruff to put along their jawlines--John couldn't grow facial hair to save himself--and their clothes were a little torn. And for Aaron, his outfit was meant to be styled as something even older than the rest of them, but washed out, sans a hole in the chest of his coat where he was supposedly "shot" and killed. It was actually a little gruesome and Alex thought it was awesome; Hercules was glad that she agreed with him.

The fun would go on all week, with every club doing something special. The whole sports department teamed up with the drama club to turn the school into a haunted house, the glee club put together a dinner theater set up like a Medieval Times restaurant, the history group set up shop in the library as a walk through time event where people could interact with historical figures, and others.

Their first afternoon was a blast, and everyone had a good time putting on a show for the guests. Alex was one hundred percent sure that everyone favored Thomas and Gilbert the most. What people saw in the whole "sexy vampire" trope, she'd never know. It was weird. The girls loved having the two flirt with them and joke about taste testing them. Yep, Alex didn't think she'd understand it.

Day three, they got to leave the club early to participate in the haunted house attraction, much to everyone's delight, sans James. He wasn't looking forward to it, not being a fan of the noise that came with the attractions, but going to be part of the team.

Alex, Hercules, John, and Gilbert had decided that they'd pretend to be in character while they explored, getting a kick out of messing with the athletes. Thomas had little choice but to help in the attraction, as he was on a sports team, and everyone got a laugh out of teasing him.

Alex split off with Gilbert, and they took their time going through the attraction while everyone else rushed through it.

"So how do you like it so far?"

Alex thought a moment before shrugging, "I like it I guess. There's nothing scary about it, but I'm impressed by the work they put into it."

"Is there anything you're afraid of?" Gilbert asked curiously.

"Storms. Hate them." But Alex didn't want to go into the why of it. "I'm not fond of hospitals either, but I wouldn't say I'm scared of them. You?"

"Hm, probably losing all of you. You guys are very dear to me, and I would hate for any one of you to be harmed or for our friendship to crumble." Gilbert flashed Alex a weak smile, who grinned and nudged him.

"Dude, unless you kill me, I don't think you could get rid of me." The pair laughed at this and Gilbert flashed his fake teeth at her.

"I could definitely change that. Don't test me."

"You wouldn't dare."

Gilbert made to grab her arm, but Alex laughed and jerked back, turning and taking off down the dark hallway to escape. It was all in fun, and she heard Gilbert shout her name and give chase. Alex swerved and took a sharp turn down another hallway. And because she had the best luck in the world, Alex fell over in the turn after that. She hit the marble floor with a yelp and rolled onto her back with a huff.

"Well that worked," she grumbled, sitting up to slip her hand into her boot to rub at the ankle she sprained. "Ow."

"Alex?" Alex jerked her head up to find Thomas standing there, holding a bag of—Alex figured it might be prop related. Thomas dropped the plastic bag and scurried to her side. "Shit. You okay?"

"I'll live. Just sprained my ankle." Alex unlaced both boots to give her ankle space while making sure the other didn't cause her to fall over too.

"Here, lemme help you up." Thomas stood and carefully pulled her to her feet. Alex tested a little weight on her foot and winced, "Yeah, not walking for a bit."

Thomas knelt and gestured for her to get onto his back.

"Thomas, I don't think—"

"Just get on pint size."

Huffing, Alex did as she was told and hopped onto his back, arms wrapped around his neck, with his arms hooked under her knees. He raised up, carrying her off without any effort, it seemed. It has to be from him being athletic, she decided. The guy was required to work out several days a week, so it was understandable.

However, experiencing it first hand was a little bit of a shock, or a turn on.

Wait. Nope. She shouldn't be thinking that.

This did not stop her from leaning forward and relaxing against him, chin resting on top of his head. "Thanks."

"It's no problem. The event can wait while I help a damsel in distress. Ow!"

Alex had lightly swatted his shoulder, "One, I am not a damsel; two, I was not in distress. I just—needed a hand, is all."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," the boy drawled, hopping to jostle her a little. He was happy to hear the squeak and felt Alex's arms tighten around his neck.

When they got to the gym, Thomas carted her down the stairs to the sport's nursing office. The man who was usually there was gone, probably helping with the haunted house thing, so Thomas waltzed in and set Alex down in a chair. "Okay, give me a moment, and I'll take care of it."

She nodded silently and brought her feet up. When Thomas turned around, he slapped a hand over his eyes. "You're in a skirt; please put your legs down."

"Thomas, I have shorts on under this thing. I figured that I'd be doing a lot of moving around and didn't want to go around without anything under this other than the tights." She fought back a smirk as he slowly uncovered his eyes. "See? Shorts."

Thomas only rolled his eyes and reached out, tapping her ankle. "Ah, right...The tights. I'll turn around so you can get them off."

"But I can't stand to do that."

"Hm. Hold on. Here." He helped her to stand, allowing her to balance on one foot while she wiggled out of the shorts and then the tights; the shorts went right back on when she was free of the tights. "Are you good now?"

When Alex nodded, he set her back on the chair and took a seat at her feet. Carefully, he guided her foot forward to rest on his lap, giving him the chance to slowly move it to watch her reaction. When she winced, he set it down and grabbed the ice pack. Crushing and then shaking to activate it, Thomas then gently wrapped it around her ankle.

"What were you doing anyway?" His eyes met hers and Alex swore that it made her nervous when he focused on her.

"Running from Laf. We were goofing off and trying to stay in character as we wandered the haunted house and I sort of took off running. I lost him but—well—" she gestured to her ankle, "we see how that turned out."

"Sooo, are you into the vampire thing too?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Not really. I don't see the appeal to it, but hey, to each their own I guess."

Alex saw the moment Thomas got a mischievous idea, becoming wary of the smirk on his face. This couldn't end well. At all. Whatever it was, Alex wanted no part in it.

"How about I show you? In case you ever have to play the part."

"I-I'm good thanks." Alex laughed nervously and fiddled with the ice pack.

Thomas' hand covered hers while the other went to her cheek. His eyes had almost closed, leaving just a sliver of red between his lashes as he leaned in. The hand on her cheek guided her face up, while lips brushed against the skin of her neck.

Alex fought back a shiver.

"You already smell delicious. I bet you would taste even better, darling." Thomas pulled back a hair to get a look at the girl in front of him. "I can make it worth your while." He finally kissed her skin; lips trailed along her jaw before they hovered over her own. "A bite from me and you would feel as if you were flying."

"T-Thomas—?" Okay, maybe she wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him; curiosity was killing her, but before they finished closing the distance, Thomas pulled away and dropped his hands.

"See? No one can resist a sexy vampire." Smug bastard. "By the way, that's payback for the laser tag incident." Oh, right. She had cheated and fought dirty to win the game and get revenge on Thomas for being an ass to her.

A shame, considering that she half hoped that he would. Not that it would happen. Ever. With the way the guy flirts with anything that moves, Alex doubted that he'd ever look her way. Oh well. It's nice to daydream a little.

"I will stake you," she warned, fighting back a grin. Alex knew damn well that she was still blushing, and she had to make up for it somehow. Anger. Anger can cause a flush. Pretend to be pissed, and he won't know. "Watch yourself, Jefferson."

The boy cracked up, the smirk dissolving as his laughter took its place. Okay, so he wasn't deterred at all. Great.  
  
Thomas deadpanned. "Yes, I'll be careful around a currently crippled vampire hunter. I'm absolutely terrified and shaking in my boots."  
  
Alex snorted with laughter and tapped on the stake on her hip, "I can still get you if you're in arm's reach."  
  
"Not like that you couldn't. Poor little rabbit, stuck in a chair and basically served to me on a silver platter. I couldn't have asked for a better meal." They laughed again but were interrupted when the nurse finally showed up. Sighing, Thomas stood from his place in the nurse's chair to let the guy sit and moved to sit by Alex.  
  
There needed to be a witness, and even if Thomas needed to go back, he wanted to stay for her sake. The nurse checked Thomas' work and nodded, telling Alex about the sprain and how to treat it outside of his office for the next day. When they finished, Thomas helped her up and carried her back to the clubroom.  
  
"How's your pain?"  
  
"Fine, but my feet are getting cold from not having my tights and shoes on." Alex leaned against his back heavily and sighed. Honestly, it was getting late, and she'd been up until early in the morning working on an assignment; she wanted a nap. Maybe Aaron can give me a ride, she thought absently. For now, though, she enjoyed having Thomas carry her around and the warmth that radiated from his back.  
  
She started when Thomas jostled her again. "Okay, rude."  
  
"Don't go to sleep then, you old hag. The evening is still young, and we have a show to put on. Imagine, the evil and handsome vampire helping out the cute, injured hunter. What will they think?" Alex didn't need to see his face to know that Thomas was grinning, planning on how he could spin the story for the sake of the guests.  
  
"That you're probably carting me off somewhere to drain me of my blood," she said dryly.  
  
"Where's your imagination? I know you can do better than that."  
  
"I swear, if they think they're getting something like Twilight or Vampire Diaries, they've got another thing coming." Alex tugged at his ear with a huff, snorting when he jerked away. Huh, ticklish. "I don't do pretty boy vampires. Sorry world."  
  
"Aw, you wouldn't have me?" He sounded playful like he was faking hurt, but there was something else in it that Alex couldn't identify. "Ouch."  
  
"Pretty sure it's the other way around." Alex relaxed against him, adjusting her hold around his shoulders. She really needed that nap.  
  
"Alex, don't fall asleep on me."  
  
"I'm not," she mumbled. Alex was already halfway there.  
  
Thomas stopped and helped her to stand instead, and Alex wobbled, but then Thomas scooped her up into his arms instead. Alex would have lambasted him for it, but she didn't care at the moment. At least she didn't have to worry about hanging on. She heard a fond sigh above her, but missed whatever they said, too busy burying her face in their neck and drifting off.


	7. Rejects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex thinks.  
> She should stop thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short and kinda sad.  
> I'm sorry babes.

Alex woke a short time later, horizontal on a couch in the club room. Her head was resting on something warm and firm, which was nice. Probably from her body heat warming the surface. But when she opened her eyes, she had a knee in her field of vision. Oh. It was someone's leg. Slowly rolling onto her back, Alex found that it was Thomas she was resting on. He had his chin resting in his hand on the arm of the couch, with the other lightly playing in a lock of her hair while staring off into space. She'd never seen him this pensive, concerned about something she could only guess.  
  
When he noticed that she'd moved, he glanced down and offered a tired smile.  
  
"How much of the event have I missed?"  
  
"Only about forty-five minutes."  
  
Alex nodded and sat up, stretching her arms up and arching her back to get out the kinks the couch put there. "Well, I feel better. Where are we supposed to be?"  
  
Thomas pulled out a pack of gum from his pocket and after taking one for himself, passed her one. Probably for sleep breath, she thought, though she didn't know why he needed it. "We don't have to worry about working again for a little while longer. Everyone else is enjoying the haunted halls attraction and the cafes and things. Just you and me at the moment."  
  
"Oh." Well, this whole thing is awkward. She'd fallen asleep on the poor guy after he'd already helped her with her ankles and carried her around everywhere. And here she was, probably drooling on his pants. A quick look down told her that she hadn't, praise the heavens for that small blessing. "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you. Um, you didn't have to stay here, you know. I'd've been fine on my own."  
  
He smirked and playfully flicked her nose, "Yeah, but, then I wouldn't get to see a cute girl talk in her sleep."  
  
Alex felt all of the color drain in her face, "What did I say?"  
  
Thomas cracked up and clapped his hands once in delight. "You didn't actually talk in your sleep; I promise. You do laugh in your sleep though, which is a little creepy. I think it'd be worse if it happened when it's dark, but in the daytime like this, it isn't so bad, just funny."  
  
"Ugh, kill me." That just made the embarrassment worse. Heaven help her, she wanted the floor to swallow her whole and--  
  
"I mean, I could just drain you of blood and all, but that wouldn't be very romantic, now would it?"  
  
Yep. Embarrassed, a deep blush on her cheeks, wanting to throw herself out of a window, and anything else she could do to escape this hellish mess. Alex planned to go home and never show her face in public again.  
  
His easy smile turned a little strained, and he looked away, "Ah, um, sorry. I shouldn't have as--"  
  
"It's...fine. Just unexpected, is all." There was an awkward silence, where both avoided eye contact and broke any remaining physical contact. What did she want out of this? What did she want from him? from them? He was handsome, sure, and intelligent and talented, but he was waaaaaaaay out of her league. Thomas came from old money, was popular, a bit of a flirt, in half of the clubs and sports teams in the school, and destined for...probably taking over the family business. Alex was just...Alex. Immigrant, adopted, only at this school because of a scholarship, plain, and...wanting to be in journalism. It'd never work. Thomas would be expected to pick someone that's part of his social class, another heir or heiress, not some kid who wanted to write. And that went for everyone here. All of her friends out classed her, were worth millions, and whose parents had the same expectations.  
  
"Thomas, I am fla--"  
  
John burst through the door, startling both of them and with Aaron in tow. "Guy! You're missing all of the fun! Oh...did we interrupt something?" The looks Thomas and Alex were shooting at him were enough to run them both off. "Ah...um, sorry about that. Hurry up and join us! We're going to the cafe downstairs and okayseeyoubye!"  
  
Once the door slammed shut behind them, Alex sagged with a heavy sigh. Well, there went her nerve to say anything. Best to just do the stupid thing and run from her problems until they went away or their friendship ended. Thomas spoke before she could backtrack.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it. I uh, no pressure or anything." He seemed disturbed, and a little crestfallen. Alex beginning to reject him was not something he needed to hear the entirety of. "Forget about it."  
  
Alex turned to face him, debating on how to proceed. What would work? What could she say that wouldn't break his heart? She knew hers wouldn't come out unscathed. But, she was selfish. She wanted at least one decent kiss before she said no. Was that cruel of her? Probably.  
  
Instead, she slipped her boots on and got to her feet. Alex leaned over and kissed his cheek. "We're not in the same class. It'd end horribly." With that, she offered him a weak smile and made for the door, ignoring the look of shocked hurt on his face. Well, there went that. And now it was settled, Alex wouldn't bother looking for anyone at this school; she could wait until college or after college.


	8. TBDL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few questions

Hey guys!

 

I'm doing a Q&A project for class and need questions about my writing process or the stories themselves. Can y'all comment with a question or two for me please?

**Author's Note:**

> HMU on tumblr at ixhadbadxdays


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